Trip to China provides teenagers a wealth of fascinating experiences

Last summer my girlfriend and I took our 14-year-old sons to Disneyland in California. While we were having such a great time we asked each other, "Where should we go next year?" The decision was made without hesitation -- Beijing.

The day after school was out we boarded a plane for Hong Kong, a place we thought would serve as a bridge to the culture shock we knew the boys would experience in mainland China. In spite of the heat and humidity we had a wonderful time exploring the top sights such as Temple Street Market, the Peak and the trip to Stanley by double decker bus.

We spent a fabulous day at Ocean Park where we came face to face with Jia Jia and An An, a female and male panda, housed in the Giant Panda Habitat, a gift to the people of Hong Kong from the Central Government of China in 1999. We finished off the day with a sampan ride to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant where we enjoyed a traditional Peking duck dinner.

We travelled to Beijing by train, passing the 24 hours comfortably in our pj's and wrapped in the cozy duvets provided. We watched the Chinese countryside go by and the boys were interested to see the rice paddies. They were fascinated with the Chinese toilet and experienced a clash of cultures when trying to be understood in the dining car. Absolutely no English was spoken. Luckily we had packed snacks and fruit along for the trip.

Our arrival at the train station in Beijing was exciting and proved to be a test of our adventurous spirit. We were unable to locate a taxi and before long a large group of curious onlookers gathered around us. The boys were overwhelmed and a little frightened but before long a young English-speaking couple came to our rescue. We had just learned that we should always carry the name of our destination written in Chinese characters. Very few taxi drivers speak English.

Upon our arrival in this fascinating city it was immediately evident how hard the Chinese were working in preparation for the Olympics, planting, paving, painting, etc. The boys were fascinated with this city, its traffic, the impressive architecture and the people. While climbing the Great Wall at Badaling they were often asked to pose in photographs with the Chinese, making them feel like celebrities. In the markets they were well received and became very adept at knowing how to bargain for a fair price.

A tour of the B.C. Pavilion located just off Tiananmen Square connected us to home. It was exciting to meet people from B.C. and to see the tree that once stood in Stanley Park. The same ticket entitled us to visit the Beijing Urban Planning Exhibition Centre where we discovered a huge miniature scale replica of Beijing. All the new Olympic structures had been added including the National Stadium or Bird's Nest and the Water Cube.

The highlight of this fabulous trip occurred after an incredible day touring the Forbidden City. Finding ourselves in an old area of Beijing we decided to take a tour of the hutongs by cycle rickshaws. After winding our way through the narrow streets we found ourselves in the hutong or home of a Chinese family, where we were invited to tea with Mr. Zhang, the 97-year-old patriarch. This had been his home for many years where he still lives with all his children.

Mr. Zhang served us a special sweet syrup tea and with the help of an interpreter we learned all about life in the hutongs. Mr. Zhang was quite taken with the boys and after disappearing into a back room he reappeared with a small Chinese red envelope. He showed us the special treasure inside, a pin of Mao, illustrating the landscape of his childhood in the foreground. This prize piece had been in his family for 40 years and he insisted that it was his gift to the boys. Despite the cultural, language and age differences, a special connection was made and we all found it difficult to say good-bye.

Pamela Robertson is a former flight attendant who still loves to travel. She works at Langara College.

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